Check out the before and after of this coastal primary bathroom remodel and see the complete transformation!
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Our primary bathroom was the first big renovation we tackled in our home. While there were a few upgrades made, the vanity, shower, and bathtub were almost 20 years old and falling apart. We also had a major storage shortage, and I was keeping a lot of our bathroom stuff in our closet (not ideal!) I decided to fully gut this bathroom to increase storage and give it a full classic coastal makeover.
Before the Remodel
Our old bathroom was blue and gray. The original vanity was painted blue and had vessel sinks. If you ever want to splash water everywhere, go for vessel sinks. LOL Some people love them, but they drove me nuts!
The vanity wall was shiplapped and was painted the same color as the vanity. The countertops were granite and the floor tile was porcelain in a herringbone wood pattern. The space was very traditional farmhouse feel but the lighting was more glam.
I think the previous owners did a nice job with the upgrades. It was mainly the rusting shower and lack of vanity storage that wasn’t working.
The Coastal Bathroom Remodel Vision
I am the queen of mood boards. It’s impossible for me to visualize a space without laying everything out together. For this bathroom, the mood board was really important because it’s how I communicated the vision to our contractor. He got it right away and we began to collaborate on details.
Roman Shade \\ Towel Ring \\ Toilet Paper Holder \\ Shower Head \\ Handheld Shower Head \\ Vanity Light \\ Rattan Mirror \\ Tub Faucet \\ Freestanding Tub \\ Wall Subway Tile \\ Floor Tile \\ Vanity Faucet \\ Knobs
Read more about the design process of this bathroom in my Planning Our Coastal Bathroom Renovation: Layout Tweaks, Tile, and Fixtures.
Design Details & Materials
The first thing we worked on was the vanity. I debated between white and navy but ultimately found a navy vanity on Wayfair (pictured above). But when I was talking to our contractor about our lack of storage, he said he could build me a custom vanity for around the same price as the Wayfair one. Are you serious?? So we began to draw out my dream bathroom vanity with a center storage tower.
I chose Sherwin Williams Cyberspace for the paint color and a quartz countertop it is absolutely stunning! The center storage tower not only visually looks beautiful but it gives us so much more capacity! To keep the look more classic, I chose polished nickel hardware over gold or bronze. You can read more about it in my Custom Blue Bathroom Vanity with Center Tower Storage post.
We also had our contractor remove the shiplap from the wall behind the vanity. It was feeling a little too traditional farmhouse so he drywalled it. The entire bathroom is painted Benjamin Moore White Dove, which my favorite warm white.
Originally, I wanted to do a white/gray marble hexagon floor tile but after reading reviews online, I was a little hesitant. I think marble is gorgeous but since this is a high-traffic bathroom, I ultimately chose a white porcelain hexagon tile and it’s so perfect! When the light catches it, it gives the illusion of white and gray. Plus, it’s very low maintenance!
Our old shower had silver metal framing that was completely rusted so we went for a frameless glass shower that looks so high end and luxurious. To complement the white porcelain floor tile, I went for a classic white subway tile in the shower and took it all the way to the ceiling. I also had our contractor install two niches, so we would have plenty of room for all the shower goodies.
The soaking tub is one of my favorite parts of this bathroom. The old one was built in and looked really dated. This tub is so spa-like, especially with the insane views out our bathroom window!
The Finishing Touches
Keeping in tone with the classic tile and coastal vibe, I chose polished nickel finishes for everything — the cabinet hardware, the vanity faucets, the bathtub faucet, the shower system, handheld shower head, and vanity lights. Even our accessories were in a polished nickel finish. You can read all about them in my Coastal Bathroom Fixtures in Polished Nickel for a Timeless Look post.
To balance the traditional polished nickel finishes with a more relaxed feel, I used organic touches throughout the bathroom. Rattan mirrors above the vanity sinks were the perfect way to add natural materials in a bold way.
I also found a bamboo bathtub caddy that is not only super cute, it’s super functional (queue Netflix in the tub vibes!). A teak bathtub mat repels water and adds an organic touch to the space. A custom (and super affordable!) navy striped roman shade added the perfect finishing touch to this coastal bathroom remodel.
For more details, check out my Coastal Bathroom Decor: Lighting, Mirrors & Finishing Touches post.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love this coastal bathroom remodel. In fact, there isn’t a single thing I would have done differently. The white floor tile and subway tile make the bathroom feel open and spacious. The navy vanity with center storage tower is not only visually stunning but it’s so functional for keeping things organized and out of sight.
The shower and tub look so high end and we actually gained 3″ of shower space with this update (yay!). The decor and accessories bring a feeling of warmth and relaxation.
I hope this post gave you some good inspiration for your coastal bathroom remodel. Happy designing!
Coastal Primary Bathroom Remodel FAQ
We had our initial conversations and bid acceptance at the end of April, demo started in May, and the bathroom remodel was completely finished by July. Our contractor did have some vacation planned, so there were a couple weeks where things were on pause. Expect 1-2 months, depending on the size of your project.
Well let me tell you, it cost a lot more than I thought it would! I was hoping to remodel this bathroom for around $15K. I must be out of touch with reality. We paid just over $25K including the decor and accessories, which were not covered in our bid. A big chunk of the cost was demo, including removing the existing tile. If you’re starting from scratch, you can probably get a much better deal.
Our contractor was referred to us by a neighbor. In my experience, word of mouth is the best way to find good contractors.
This is a hard one because everything working together creates the design. I think the shower and tub are the biggest upgrades because our shower was so rusted and the tub was stained.
This post is about a coastal primary bathroom remodel.
